Israeli Arab gets 5 years for Hamas plot

HAIFA, Israel, May 11 (UPI) -- An Israeli Arab was sentenced to five years Wednesday for conspiring with Hamas to set up an arms cache within Israel.

The Haifa District Court sentenced Khalid Agbaria, who was arrested last August after completing six years in prison for similar crimes, Ynet News reported.

Agbaria admitted the charges and made a plea bargain, while his brother-in-law, Mazen Mahzouma, is still on trial.

Hamas operative Nabil Mahzouma, Mazen's brother, sent almost $120,000 to the two men while Agbaria was in jail, authorities said.

Nabil Mahzouma met Agbaria in Saudi Arabia and gave him a map leading to a stash of weapons and money, the indictment stated, but he could not find it.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities revealed that two Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem with Israeli citizenship, Mussa Hamada and Basem Omri, have been arrested on charges of plotting to fire rockets at a stadium.

They were allegedly planning to attack Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem during a Premier League soccer game, but the plot never came off, Haaretz reported.

Authorities say the men were long linked to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.